come back home
by MedusaOfTheSpecies
Summary: A series of drabbles for the Back-To-School Challenge. /1) Pansy helps Draco get the girl at a party. 2) Marlene and Dorcas take advantage of an empty household. 3) Andromeda&Narcissa reunite. 4) Dean gets called a Mudblood.
1. sprits burning bright

**spirits burning bright**

It would be horrifying to Draco, if he weren't used to it, how cunning Pansy Parkinson could be. They've known each other for their entire lives and still, Draco feels sometimes that the girl beside him was not fully human.

"Relax, baby," Pansy purrs, rocking back and forth on the heels of her metallic three-inch heels (any higher then that and it would be considered a stripper look, according to her). "She's coming, I'm sure of it. When have the Greengrass sisters ever refused a party invitation? That's far too classy for the likes of them."

"You're at the same party," Draco reminds her, though it's unnecessary. Pansy's presence is a valuable commodity, and he knows she's only here for him: normally, she wouldn't come near a high school party. It makes him love her a little more.

Pansy just laughs at that, flinging her arms around him as she plants a kiss on his cheek. It leaves a red lipstick imprint and Draco swipes at it absentmindedly.

"Please, Draco, just trust me. Astoria Greengrass does not deserve you, but we're here regardless. I know you the best out of anyone, especially when you're deflecting attention off yourself and onto me."

"Don't even try that with me," Draco says, lowering his voice to mimic her pitch. It's terrible, but he's rewarded with her smirk. "I still have your underwear, you know. Two can play that game."

"Try again, because I still have your virginity," Pansy deadpans quietly as if telling him a secret, before flipping him the finger and pretending to be adjusting her hair.

Draco rolls his eyes at her reminder: they slept together once, just to try, and he's grateful his disastrous first time was with her because she makes him feel at home, even when she's mocking him.

"She's here."

Draco looks up at that and freezes.

"You heard that, right?" Pansy nudges him, but Draco's attention is gone.

Daphne Greengrass looks beautiful, but it's Astoria, always Astoria, who catches his attention. She's wearing a basic jumper dress, the kind of simple that both his and her elegant parents would hate, but she makes it looks beautiful. Astoria has that talent: Draco knows from experience that she makes even the worst days feel okay.

"Showtime, lover-boy," Pansy says from beside him, squeezing his bicep. "No going back now." Draco can feel her silent laughter, but her tone is genuine, if not warm, and it makes Draco take a deep breath and walk forward.

He can talk to Astoria today. He's got this, with Pansy by his side.

 **...**

 **Written for:**

Back To School: "I still have your underwear." /"I still have your virginity."

Character Appreciation: (trait) Bossy

Disney Challenge: S3 - Trust In Me - Use the dialogue; "Just trust me."

Dark Lady's Diabolic Liar: (word) secret

Book Club: Angela: (relationship) best friend, (word) normal, (trait) protective

Showtime: The Point of No Return - (dialogue) "No going back now."

Amber's Attic: 2. "Sometimes I'm the mess. Sometimes I'm the broom. On the hardest days, I have to be both."

Count Your Buttons: S5, 04, C1, W1

Lyric Alley: Ticking of clocks, gravity's pull

Ami's Audio Admirations: 2. The Inaugural Episode — Write about the beginnings of something scary.

 **Em's Emporium: 11. BONUS Jareth the Goblin King, Labyrinth: (song) As the world falls down - David Bowie**

Angel's Arcade: E-123 Omega: (color) metallic, (character) Draco Malfoy, (action) walking

Lo's Lowdown: Alt. word: deadpan

Bex's Basement: 8. Esio Trot - Write about someone lying for a good cause. Alt, write about someone pining for someone, and not knowing how to ask them on a date.

Sewing 101: "Try again," Muggle!Au, Draco Malfoy

Feline Fair: Persian: Write about a pureblood


	2. lighthouse in the dark

**I'll be the light when you can't see**

The first thing Dorcas does as soon as her parents leave is call Marlene.

"Marly, are you busy today?" Dorcas says as soon as the line is picked up, listening to the breathing on the other side. Marlene's household is nothing like the stifling silence of her own: eight brothers and sisters tend to be loud.

There are some stifled screams and the sound of something that sounds awfully like an explosion. "Not at all," Marlene enthusiastically, clearly out of breath. "My whole family is home, so I've got to get out of here, as soon as magically possible. I'm ten minutes from a lifetime in Azkaban for murder."

Dorcas laughs to herself, hanging up. Marlene should be here soon, so Dorcas tosses her dirty clothes in the laundry and begins to clean up. The last thing Marlene would ever care about is whether Dorcas's room is clean, but she's developed a habit.

"Ding-dong!" She hears about ten minutes into her cleaning, right before enthusiastic knocking. Laughing to herself, Dorcas opens the door and is almost knocked to the floor by the passion in Marlene's hug.

She looks perfect as usual, her blood-red hair, high cheekbones, and pale skin a sharp contrast against her bright-as-sunshine smile. Dorcas tries to suppress her beaming smile, but Marlene brings out the warmest side of her.

Marlene swoons dramatically, pressing a kiss to Dorcas's cheek. lifesaver! The crazy eight woke me up before sunrise and I'm exhausted, homicidal, and all that jazz. Merlin, you wouldn't even believe what happened — "

Dorcas walks up the stairs to her room behind Marlene, smiling at her girlfriend's blabbering story. Marlene enters the room right as she finishes her story with a flourish of her hands.

"What shall we do?" Marlene asks, kicking her feet up on the bed.

"Well," Dorcas drawls softly. "There is a girl in my bed. While we're alone at home. With supervision whatsoever… well, I'm not sure if this is really the time..."

Marlene flutters her eyelashes innocently, playing along. "Can it be, Ms. Meadows, that you flirting with me? Is this because I'm obviously gayer than you?"

Dorcas snorts and Marlene takes that as an invitation to tackle her. Within seconds, they're tangled up in sheets, blankets and pillows and teddy bears sprawled all around them, and Dorcas can't think of a better way to spend her day.

 **...**

 **Written for:**

Back To School: (dialogue) "There is a girl in my bed."

Character Appreciation: 19. [Setting] Apartment

Disney Challenge: S1 - Bare Necessities - Write about someone enjoying life. /alt/ Write a fic set on water.

Trope of the Month: Item — Blanket

Dark Lady's Diabolic Liar: (colour) blood red

Book Club: Linus: (trait) talkative, (action) smiling, (dialogue) "Is it because I'm obviously more gay than you?"

Showtime: Think of Me - (dialogue) "Can it be?"

Amber's Attic: 4. "I swear that when our lips touch, I can taste the next sixty years of my life."

Count Your Buttons: S2, 03, D3, C2

Lyric Alley: You get excited

Em's Emporium: Singer at the Blind Pig: (word) jazz

Angel's Arcade: Cream the Rabbit & Cheese: (character) Marlene Mckinnon, (word) soft, (action) laughing

Lo's Lowdown: C10. Ty Lee - write about someone whose appearance is deceiving.

Film Festival: Plot point: Staying with family

Sewing 101: Blanket, Family, Crimson

Pinata: Femslash

Feline Fair: American Shorthair: Write about someone who loves to talk


	3. say something

**say something**

The day Narcissa Malfoy appeared on her doorstep, Andromeda woke up at dawn. There was still fog on her window, it would not disappear till noon — in Remus's cabin in the middle of the woods, time seemed to slow.

Teddy was still fast asleep, so Andromeda walked down the stairs alone. There was a poster of Nymphadora living room wall: frozen, Muggle-made. Remus had been a half-blood, a half-breed. Andromeda had respected her son-in-law, but she forgot details sometimes.

When she heard a knock on the door, Andromeda considered not answering. Her tea was still steaming. Harry was a night owl and always warned her before coming over, nervous and a little scared around her. She thought she understood sometimes: he was addicted to the idea of a family, even their unconventional one.

Andromeda opened the door. On the doorstep, Narcissa Malfoy stood, looking far shabbier then Andromeda had ever seen her.

"Hello, Andy," Narcissa said, and Andromeda slammed the door in her face, breathing hard. When she felt composed enough to open it, Narcissa looked far less daunting and much more nervous.

"Why are you here?" Andromeda snapped, glaring at her sister. "Here to rub it in? Finish what Bellatrix started? I still have a grandson, after all. I guess you two didn't quite finish pruning the family tree."

Narcissa had the grace to look remorseful. "I am sorry to hear about Nymphadora, Andy."

"Hmph." Andromeda sneered. "Bellatrix wasn't."

"Bellatrix had little shame, especially when she does things on purpose," Narcissa spoke matter-of-factly, but her voice dripped with pity.

"Obviously. I am far aware of Bellatrix's motives. Why are you here?" Andromeda repeated, refusing to listen to her sisters groveling.

At her words, Narcissa reached into the pocket of her robes and produced a familiar golden ring. Andromeda gasped, feeling the floor sway under her. "That's… it's Ted's ring. _How do you have Ted's ring?"_

"Ted was killed by snatchers who took the ring with the intention of selling it," Narcissa said hesitantly. "It ended up in my possession, after the war. I bring it back to your in hopes of peace between us."

Andromeda reached out her hand. Narcissa looked at the space between them, dropping the ring into her hand. Andromeda slipped it on to her opposite hand's finger, wiping a tear off her cheek. Unconsciously, she rubbed both her own and Ted's ring as she looked back up.

"Are you planning to come in?" She challenged, raising an eyebrow at her sister. "What are you afraid of?"

Narcissa hesitated in surprise at the invitation. "There is a full moon tonight," she inquired delicately. "Would it be wise for me to be around your grandson?"

Andromeda snorted. "Scared he's going to sniff you out? You have nothing to fear: he inherited Narcissa's chameleon-like abilities, not Remus's condition."

Narcissa seemed uncharacteristically nervous as she followed Andromeda inside, but Andromeda thought it was fitting. It was a punishment in a way: had Narcissa not failed her, this meeting would not be an experiment.

Teddy was already downstairs when they entered the kitchen, his smile huge and hair a dark shade of burgundy. "Grandma Andy!" He called out, blowing bubbles from a Muggle kit. "I have bubbles." Then, he noticed Narcissa and his face became curious. "Who are you?"

Narcissa froze but Andromeda spoke, watching her sister's reaction. "This is my sister. She left for a while but she has returned for now."

Teddy took this in stride, nodding. "Hi!" Leaping up, he grabbed Narcissa's hand and dragged her to the table. "My bubbles are popping!"

Narcissa nodded at that, smiling uncertainly. "I can multiply them, if you would like, Teddy." Narcissa casts the Gemino curse and Andromeda hissed at the way Narcissa used such risky magic so casually. That was an aspect of her childhood she did not miss.

"Do you need to return to Malfoy Manor soon, Narcissa?" Andromeda asked coldly, as if in threat. Narcissa shook her head as Teddy popped the bubbles with glee. Andromeda watched them, mixed emotions swirling in her mind.

Perhaps her sister would fail her again, but perhaps, today was a key for a kinder future.

 **...**

 **Written for:**

Sewing 101: Malfoy Manor, Glaring, No Gryffindors

Character Appreciation: 21. [Relationships] Sisters

Disney Challenge: "She did that on purpose!" / "Obviously."

Dark Lady's Diabolic Liar: Gemino Curse

Book Club: Tony: (emotion) remorse, (setting) a cabin, (word) addiction, (plot point) losing something,

Showtime: Masquerade - (dialogue) "What are you afraid of?"

Amber's Attic: 10. "You left, and the world didn't crumble. I owe the universe a dollar."

Lyric Alley: To wait around forever when, you were there first

Ami's Audio Admirations: The King of Keys — (word) key.

Emy's Emporium: Ug the Unreliable: (word) chameleon

Angel's Arcade: Shadow the Hedgehog: (trope) bad guy turns good, (color) burgundy, (object) gold rings  
Lo's Lowdown: Iroh - plot: losing a child.

Bex's Basement: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Write about a Grandparent and Grandchild.

Film Festival: Item — Bubbles

Back To School: (word) Experiment

Feline Fair: Maine Coon: Write about searching for something

Supernatural Day: -Werewolf- Write a fic set on the night of a full moon


	4. in between

**in between**

The first time Dean gets called a Mudblood, he is eleven years and standing in the line at Gringotts.

Gringotts is one of the first real magical places he sees, because yeah, Diagon Alley is filled with magic and magical people (most of them are downright weird too, but he's too polite to say it), but Gringotts has _goblins._ They're small and vicious looking and for the first time, it really hits him that he's no longer ordinary. He can't go back to his past life anymore, no matter how hard he can try.

"Do you need me to hold your books, honey?" His mom asks and Dean nods, readjusting his arm position to be able to pass them to her. They're heavy and he's not particularly looking forward to reading them, but it's better than being at his old school, where all they learned was sciences and maths. At Hogwarts at least, he'll be able to learn real magic.

"Sign here," The goblin commands, shoving a piece of parchment towards them, and Dean nods as he and his mother both sign. His mother smiles at him, visibly excited, and Dean nods back, feeling more relaxed and at home than before. He's got a bank account in a goblin bank!

"I have a question, actually," Dean's mother says, and Dean tunes her out in favour of people watching in the bank.

There are a bunch of confused kids with their parents (Dean realizes a second later that he falls into that category), a few Goblin guards and tellers, and quite a few people making their way both in and out of the bank.

Dean tunes in again as they finish the conversation, his mother looking far calmer. "Thank you," she says, smiling profusely, and that's when Dean hears the word, dripping with acid and hatred.

"Mudblood."

It's directed at him, Dean realizes. The speaker is an older, smug-looking man who looks down on them as if they are dirt when they make eye contact. Dean doesn't quite know what the word means, but it's not the first time Dean's had a slur directed at him and it's far from the last. He's a black boy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks.

Taking a deep breath, Dean approaches the man. Then, clutching up his fist, he swings.

The man goes down like a broken pinata, choking on his own breath.

"Oh Jesus," Dean hears his mom say behind him. The man stands up, but Dean doesn't give him a chance, choosing to grab his mom's hand and walk out of the bank. The goblins watch them go (Dean gets the feeling they don't care much for wizard affairs) but don't stop them.

When they spill into the street, Dean dares to look up at his mother. She looks out of place surrounded by wizards, with her bright yellow Muggle sundress and sunglasses, but she doesn't look the least bit worried about it. He gets that from her, he thinks, the ability to stay calm when the world hates you.

"What does Mudblood even really mean?" She asks. It's more than a word — Dean can hear it still ringing in his head and seeping into his new world. It should make him scared.

Dean shrugs. "Guess I'll find out."

His mom pats his shoulder, but she doesn't seem that concerned. They've been here before and come out stronger. The world may be hateful, but they're the ones making a mistake and underestimating him.

"Yes," his mother repeats, her mind seemingly a million miles away. "I guess you will."

 **...**

 **Written for:**

Character Appreciation 3. [Item] Book

Disney Challenge: Baloo: /alt/ Write about someone who always seems relaxed, no matter the situation.

Dark Lady's Diabolic Lair: 4. Parchment

Lyric Alley: 14. I do not deserve

Ami's Audio Admiration: The Boiler Room — Alt. Write about something seemingly normal being terrifying.

Emy's Emporium: Gringott: (setting) Gringotts

Angel's Arcade: Miles "Tails" Prower: (color) bright yellow, (plot point) being bullied, (trait) shy  
Lo's Lowdown: Toph — Alt. write about someone who is underestimated

Bex's Basement: George's Marvellous Medicine - Write about an adult bullying a child.

Back To School: (word) Question

Feline Fair: Ragdoll: Write about a polite person

Women's History: Task Eight: Write about someone being the first to do something. (Can be a major accomplishment or something minor like someone being the first in the family to attend Hogwarts)


End file.
